Tomorrow?

I doubt we'll top this 8.7-kilogram (19.2-pound) baby born in Indonesia (ouch!). But our hopefully-slightly-smaller baby is due to come tomorrow by scheduled C section. We'll post some updates tomorrow!

If you need a good laugh . .

Join us for kindergarten soccer.

It is an hour of pure entertainment.

First of all, please notice our very manly purple jersies What our team lacks in skill, we make up for with intimidation (note the determined look on Luke's face).

It's pretty easy to tell where the ball is. Look for the pack of 5 year olds -- it's somewhere in the middle. Just don't be distracted by the girls picking at butterflies or dancing on the sidelines (that will totally be Evie as a kindergarten soccer player).
Doing a goal kick is a much-sought-after privilege (but what great form he has!).


At the end of the hour, you have a bunch of tired, sweaty, happy kids. Luke's been doing really well - he's even scored a couple of goals. But you can generally find him on our side of the field, trying to play goalie (a natural defenseman, after my own heart!).
Then, of course, there is the kindergarten soccer photo. Professionally done.

This picture really needs no comments. Except "What was that photographer thinking?" And "How long did they laugh about it when they got home that night?"

Berry pickin'

We went with some friends to one of the nearby apple orchards to do some raspberry picking this week. I love the orchards around here and I love that it feels like fall is (maybe, finally) on its way. It is my favorite time of year in Minnesota.


The kids loved the huge pumpkin patch. They had some gorgeous pumpkins.
Evie picked a a lot of berries. She then proceeded to eat a lot of berries.


She would end up with about 6 berries in her basket, put them in her mouth, then repeat again and again. By the end, she figured out it was just easier to steal them from other people's buckets.
They found (and nearly squashed to death) a little toad.



Then we went home and made jam. I was pretty darn proud of myself as I've never made jam before.


We've already gone through one jar in the last 2 days. We'll have to do it again.

Ready

38 weeks down, 1 week to go until my scheduled C section next Thursday. I would like to say it's gone by really fast -- but I'd be completely lying. I finally started feeling good about 4 weeks ago, only to have the nausea get really bad again the last few days. But the countdown is on and the end is coming up fast.

I. am. ready. (Isn't everyone by this point?) Well, maybe not ready for another newborn in the house (I'm always a little nervous) but ready to be done with the pregnancy and meet this little one. Luke is excited. My mom and dad have purchased their tickets.

My last shift is tonight, the nursery is ready, everything is washed, we found the carseat. Ken even bought little diapers today. Now, if we could just decide on a name . . .


The only one I'm really worried about is this one.
She's been really clingy the last few weeks, like she knows somethings coming. She talks about "baby sister" - and is planning a tea party when she gets home, and says she wants to make her "waugh". But I know it'll be shock when the baby actually comes home to live with us. She will love her, I know. In a few years she will be so glad to have a little sister. But I'm nervous about the next few weeks, just the same.

Triathalon #2

A few weeks ago, Ken and some of his friends finished the St. Croix Valley Triathalon. It was a pretty morning - the kids were great cheerleaders - and I've enjoyed watching Ken work so hard for something (and enjoy it too). Hopefully I'll be doing it too , next year.


Luke and his poster. He does a great job at every transition looking for his Daddy.
Waiting for the start. The river was so shallow you could walk on the bottom (and some people were). Sounds like my kind of swimming.
Finishing the bike.

All the guys at the end. Great job!
Our little family at the finish. Ken finished in about an hour and 20 minutes. Great job!

The Best $3 I've ever spent

Ken and I spent the morning with Evie -playing tea party, lunch at Burger King (her favorite) and running errands.

In the grocery store, she found a princess card that sings "I Know You, I Walked with You Once Upon a Dream" from Sleeping Beauty. That just happens to be the song she has requested before bed for the last 6 months. It inspired a round of dancing in the refrigerator section. Neither Ken nor I wanted to be the one to take it from her, so it came home with her. She is currently napping with it.

Hours of entertainment.

Recap: State Fair

Or, basically, it's all about the food.

Whenever we go, it always seems to be a really packed, HOT summery day. But there's great sign watching (fried twinkies? fried pickles? fried pork chops on a stick? fried everything?), even better people watching, the kids have a blast and everyone comes home hot and sticky and stuffed.



Luke and his buddy Calvin posing in front of one of the bajillion food stands.

I got some cheese on a stick (kind of like a corn dog but with cheese instead of the dog). Yum.
Luke and Calvin loved the corn dogs.

Ken and Evie preferred the bucket o' cookies, chased down with chocolate milk from the all you can drink milk stand.
We actually did do some of the attractions - the kids' favorite is the little farmers exhibit. Here's Calvin planting some seeds.

Our 3 stooges in their aprons.Evie getting decked out.
We also got to see some of the animals which the kids loved. And they slept really, really well that night.

The REAL First Day of School

He was so excited, he got up early. Then spent 5 minutes watching to see when the other kids were leaving for the bus stop.

Evie was excited, too - and wore her backpack down to the bus stop with him.
He was annoyed because I made him keep posing for pictures.


He basically ran to the school bus. No waving or tears. And off he went.



Caroline came down for the day with her kids and we got a ton of stuff done for the baby's room (thanks!). Evelyn was excited to have her cousins to play with. She was most excited when the school bus pulled up with Luke inside - she just jumped up and down and up and down.

First Day of School

It was a big day for a little boy.

Luke started Kindergarten today. He is so, so excited. It was orientation, so I went with him. We met his class and got to ride a school bus (that was the icing on the cake). His first "real" day is tomorrow - he is ecstatic.

Evie was really, really mad she couldn't go. She was running around this morning crying "I not wittle! I weally big! I weally big!" She put on her princess backpack and insisted in participating in the photo shoot. She'll miss having him to tag along after.

There were no tears today (I think I got mine all out on Sunday). I didn't really expect Luke to be sad. He was too excited.





After school, we got a new haircut, then went to the beach for the afternoon.


The kids enjoyed the sun and got really, really dirty. There is something I love about dirty, sandy feet.

The boys dug a "river"
And got even dirtier.

Evie insisted on wearing her pink floaties, even though she barely got in the water.
It was a big day.

Me? I'm mostly feeling big. At least I can still find my toes. If I try really, really hard.